Frederick Buechner, novelist and writer of several volumes of spiritual autobiography, puts his own spin on the story of medieval Catholic saint, Godric. Godric, late in his life, is approached by an eager young Monk, named Reginald, who wants to write the story of the holy man’s life. But the seasoned and reflective Godric did not appreciate it when Reginald left out the “sinful” parts of his past. In Godric, we meet an aged saint who is weighing what is important at the end of life. He would say, “What’s lost is nothing (compared) to what’s found, and all the death that ever was, set next to life, would scarcely fill a cup.”
Maybe Buechner’s Godric is correct…that by comparison to life, death could scarcely fill a cup. But it doesn’t always seem that way. Death has intruded in our world in ways unexpected and tragic, taking from us dear ones who mean the world to us. And these losses inevitably are prelude to our consideration of our own death. Whether it is the thought of leaving this world, or the sheer fear of dying itself, the end of life is a vital part of our spiritual journey.
The lectionary reading for this fifth Sunday of Lent is that of Lazarus, the brother of Mary and Martha. Lazarus had fallen ill, and Jesus, who was traveling elsewhere, was notified. Eventually, Jesus did return to Judea, but by the time he arrived in Bethany, Lazarus had already been dead for four days. Mary and Martha approached Jesus separately, and each said, “Jesus, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” Hearing this, and seeing their sorrow as well as the sorrow of others, Jesus began to weep. The story concludes with the raising of Lazarus, but it is impossible to overlook that faith flows from the experience of compassion…the sense that our dread of death is something God deeply understands.
We’ll talk about this in worship on Sunday, as the sermon is titled, “Now, and At the Hour of Our Death.” The sermon flows from the text in the Gospel of John, chapter 11. The Chancel Choir, accompanied by Ilze Akerbergs, will lead us musically.
If you have been a part of the St. Mark’s community for years, or if you are just discovering us, we look forward to connecting with you on Sunday. To join the 10:30 service online, visit www.smumc.church, and click on the Live Stream banner.